Content Optimization
Most people still don’t know the fundamental principles for content optimization to get the best WordPress rating and SEO ranking for their writing.
In this blog, you will learn the fundamental principles of how writing and content optimization work together. You will learn how to rank higher with SEO so more people read your blog.
Let’s begin with the basic steps for blog, website, and article writing:
1. Begin by identifying your top priority for each piece of writing. Is it to establish yourself as the expert on the topic? To share your knowledge and experience with others? To invite people to get in touch with you?
2. Identify your authentic voice. Who are you? How do you want to show yourself to your readers?
3. Develop a consistent style for your writing.
4. Keep your pieces short, concise, and to the point.
5. Leave something to be discovered.
Blogging has opened up the writing scene to a lot more people. Gone are the days when the rules of grammar kept people away from expressing their opinions. Blogging is freer and more fluid, and both readers and writers have become very comfortable with it.
Still, there are fundamental principles to know about how your words can rank your blog with WordPress and SEO.
What Comes First?
Most people struggle with whether to choose key words first and then write the blog, or write the blog first and then add key words for better density.
There is no solution to this dilemma. Both approaches produce inconsistent content and terrible optimization.
Content and key words cannot exist without each other. I have found a solution that works very well for me and my clients.
Content Optimization Keywords
The best way to find key words for content optimization is to stretch your imagination.
Rather than using the same old key words, it’s always better to focus on long tail keywords. A “long tail keyword” is a phrase that you optimize. Because it is targeted, you will have less competition and it will rank you higher.
For example, instead of “Life Coach,” I use “Vancouver Life Coach.” My chances of ranking are much higher.
Understanding long tail key words in content optimization opens up a lot of possibilities.
When I work with my clients on their own unique website planning, or coach them on their blog writing, I suggest primary key words or long tail, or secondary key words or long tail.
The best way to create a list of valuable words and phrases for each page is to dig deep within yourself and find words that describe not only what you do and the services you provide, but also the value your business brings to your clients.
For example, my life coaching is a “partnership” that brings my clients closer to “personal fulfillment.” It helps them to “move forward toward goals” faster.
Website writing and blog writing are similar. With both, you want to find your niche by creating a plan before you implement multiple pages or blogs.
Creating a plan means finding themes that will permeate your writing. Your themes will be the common thread that holds each piece together and connects each piece with every other piece. They will also connect everything you write with you. After all, you are the most important part of this equation.
This is an excellent system. Here’s what it does:
1. Prompts you to select your themes.
2. Creates consistency between topics and pieces of writing.
3. Helps you choose pertinent key words.
4. Makes you the expert on that subject.
5. Let’s you link blogs and pages effectively.
6. Lends fluidity to your writing.
7. Provides a target topic within a theme.
8. Keeps you on schedule.
9. Creates all the steps for your writing.
Implementing the Big Picture
Long tail key words are meant to communicate the value and results that your business offers your clients, rather than just the service. They always give better results when used as tools in content optimization than overused single key words.
For website content optimization using key words and long tail key words, I recommend this approach:
1. Define your themes for multiple blogs.
2. Then extract the topic of each blog.
3. Create approximate titles.
4. Choose long tail key words that are consistent with the content and express the value of the services you offer.
5. After you have chosen thematic key words and long tail key words, group them together according to the specific topic of each blog.
You have now created the foundation for a series of blogs or the foundation for your website pages and your content optimization strategy. You have intertwined your themes with your topics and potential titles, as well as with relevant key words.
Now all you have to do is weave everything together.
This approach is a more organic and organized way to schedule the writing and posting of your blogs. Why? Because you have worked with themes, topics, titles, and expressions, all at the same time. I can assure you that when you do it this way, most of the blog writes itself in your mind.
Once you’ve done this for every blog and every page on your website, your content will flow and every page will connect you with your clients. That’s your goal!
You will also have defined keywords that are contextually compatible with one another. That is a fundamental principle to content optimization for SEO ranking.
Where and How to Find Keywords
How well do you know yourself and the value you bring to your clients? The answer to that question is the best way to find key words for content optimization.
Here’s the system I suggest for finding high-search and low-competition key words for your content optimization:
1. When you google a word or phrase, look below the google search for the number of times this key word or phrase has been googled.
2. At the bottom of the search page, you’ll find alternative words and phrases. These are excellent suggestions.
3. Once you have a list of possible key words and phrases, you will need to determine which ones have high search and low competition. The best tool for this is Google Adwords Keyword Planner.
4. Many of the key words and phrases may be similar. Narrow your search according to high search and low competition. Again, Google Adwords will help you. It will also suggest alternative key words and phrases pertinent to your search.
“Peace of Mind”
The long tail keyword “peace of mind” has a monthly search of 22,200 and low competition. Would this be a good long tail keyword for content optimization?
When I google “peace of mind,” I get this rating at the bottom of the search:
About 199,000,000 results (0.84 seconds)
This number tells me how many times this specific phrase is googled.
Don’t pick words because they are searched more than others. Pick words and phrases that resonate with your themes and topics. Sometimes it’s better to pick key words and phrases that are searched less. I will talk about high search in connection with low competition in a moment.
For more ideas, I look at the ranking ads that contain the phrase “peace of mind.” I also scroll to the bottom of the search page and find these other long tail key words to assess:
Searches related to “peace of mind”
peace of mind in daily life
peace of mind quotes
peace of mind music
prayer for peace of mind
peace of mind happiness
Then I ask myself, Are these good leads? Would they complement my content? Does one of them jump out as a possible priority key word or phrase?
Then I google some of the long tail key words in the list—for example, “peace of mind happiness”—and I get more ideas on that page and at the bottom of the page of the google search. I find these new terms: define peace, meaning of peace of mind.
I move to Google Adwords Keyword Planner to assess the ratio of search to competition:
- “peace of mind” has 22,000 and low competition
- “define peace” which Google Adwords says has 4400 monthly searches and low competition
- “meaning of peace of mind” which has 920 monthly searches and low competition
At this point, you will want to get “peace of mind” for you!
Follow your intuition. Follow the words and phrases that speak to you and resonate with you. Good content optimization is organic. Every single word you use it’s pertinent to you, your philosophy, your message.
Keywords are overused, and they are a minimal part of your optimization.
However, when you use them in conjunction with other related terms, they produce good content optimization.
XOXO Monica
Consider reading all of the blogs below. It’s only when you undertsan the big picture and know the detials of each steps that you will have awesome results in rating well with WordPress and Ranking high with SEO.
Here are some of the steps and relevant blogs:
- Content Optimization Fundamental Principles (this blog)
- Optimization Tips: Image SEO
- Maximize Writing Results with Yoast SEO
- The Art of the Title
- Merging It All Together
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